St Patrick's Day History

St. Patrick's Day is a holiday to commemorate Saint Patrick, a British-born priest and former slave who is known for converting the Irish to Christianity and chasing the snakes out of the country. He died on March 17, in the year 461 and was mostly forgotten. As time passed, stories grew around St. Patrick and centuries later he was honoured with the title of Patron Saint of Ireland.

More recently, Saint Patrick's Day has become a celebration of Irish pride and heritage. Over the years, big parties and the custom of drowning the shamrock at the end of the celebrations - a shamrock is placed in the bottom of a cup that is then filled with whiskey, cider or beer then drank with a toast - have become increasingly popular all over the world. Every year, on March 17th, this holiday is celebrated around the globe with shamrocks, leprechauns and lots of green.

St Patrick's Day Facts & Quotes

St Patrick’s Day is celebrated in more countries than any other national festival. It is heavily celebrated in the United States; in fact, Boston held the first ever Saint Patrick's Day parade in 1762 and Chicago continues to dye its river a bright green colour every March 17th (the colour can last for days).

Approximately 5.5 million pints of Irish Guinness stout are consumed on an average day. On St. Patricks Day, nearly 13 million are consumed.

Wearing the shamrock, a three-leaf clover is a St. Patrick's Day tradition. The official three-leaf clover is known scientifically as Trifolium dubium however clovers can also have more leaves. Four-leaf clovers are said to be lucky, however the odds of finding one are about 10,000 to 1.

Saint Patrick was a gentleman,Who through strategy and stealth,Drove all the snakes from Ireland,Here’s a toasting to his health.But not too many toastingsLest you lose yourself and thenForget the good Saint PatrickAnd see all those snakes again. - Famous Irish Toast

Love is never defeated, and I could add, the history of Ireland proves it. — Pope John Paul II

St Patrick's Day Top Events and Things to Do

Find your local St Paddy’s parade or find your way to any Irish pub or bar, someone will be celebrating with pints of Ireland's finest brews. Sláinte! (Irish word for cheers)

Read some classic Irish literature by some of Ireland's most well-known writers, such as James Joyces' Dubliners, Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot or Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Get your dancing shoes on at a cèilidh (the Gaelic word for a traditional social gathering). You can expect lots of folk dancing, music and drinks to celebrate the holiday.

Visit Ireland! St Patrick’s Day might be celebrated around the world but nowhere is quite as lively and festive at the Emerald Isle (Ireland) itself.

Try learning some Irish, the national and first official language of Ireland (the other being English). Tá fáilte romhaibh. Conas atá cúrsaí leat? Go n-éirí an t-ádh leat! (Translation: Welcome. How are you? Good luck)